variants
or less commonly canvas
canvassed; canvassing
1
: to go through (a district) or go to (persons) in order to solicit orders or political support or to determine opinions or sentiments
canvass voters
canvassed the neighborhood to solicit magazine subscriptions
2
3
obsolete
: to toss in a canvas sheet in sport or punishment
: to seek orders or votes : solicit
was canvassing for a seat in Congress
canvasser
noun
or less commonly canvaser
variants
or less commonly canvas
: the act or an instance of canvassing
especially
: a personal solicitation of votes or survey of public opinion
a house-to-house canvass to ascertain the vote before the election
Cite this Entry
“Canvass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canvass. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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